Quote:
|
Originally Posted by abaya
I think this is very insightful... roachboy alluded to it earlier, and I agreed. I think people become aware of entirely new aspects of their "identity" when they leave their comfort/norm zone and experience a place where they "stick out" for whatever reason.
Which is why I think everyone (esp. American high schoolers) should be required to spend one year living abroad in a country and learning a new language. Not that it will happen anytime soon (imagine the funding for that!), but man it would change a lot of opinions, especially about foreigners, in this country.
Anyway, really cool responses to this thread, keep 'em coming!
|
What opinions about foreigners do you think that would change? What assumptions about attitudes towards foreigners do you think Americans have now?
Does that attitude work in the reverse? I always feel like an American ambassador abroad, changing the preconceptions that the "foreigners" have about Americans. I spend 3-6 months abroad every year, but my opinions on foreigners have essentially stayed the same, only minimally fluctuating within a given range.